The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of conveyor apparatus for delivering flux powder to a mold of a continuous casting installation for metals, especially steel.
It has already been proposed for a continuous casting installation to transport the flux powder from a supply container by means of a mechanical worm conveyor directly into the continuous casting mold. However, with this solution there is present the drawback that a large supply container must be erected at the casting platform at the region of the mold and the worm conveyor must be guided by means of bends or the like. The erection of such supply container limits the available space, on the one hand, causing poor accessibility at the casting platform and, on the other hand, due to the curved construction of the worm conveyor, increased wear of the worm results, so that it must be frequently exchanged. Hence, this proposal is both complicated and expensive.
Further, it is already known to the art to deliver flux powder from a first container by means of a trough to a second approximately equal size, lower situated container. The second container cooperates with a vibration device and a transport device. The powder is conveyed from the transport device by means of air to the surface of the metal bath in the continuous casting mold. However, this arrangement is associated with the disadvantage that the infeed of the flux powder by means of air into the hollow compartment of the mold is associated with the danger of oxidation of the steel and there occurs an undesirable dust formation which obstructs the view into the mold.